How the ACA Helps Low-Income Parents – and Children – Succeed

A few weeks ago, President Obama announced that 8 million people have signed up for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) exchanges; 28 percent (about 2.2 million) were between ages 18 and 34. But also important for young adults is the opportunity to sign up for Medicaid, which provides health care for low-income people and, unlike the exchanges, does not have a deadline.

The inclusion of mental health services in the ACA benefit packages is especially valuable. Among low-income parents from high-poverty communities, unmet mental health needs stemming from trauma, stress, and exposure to violence are a key barrier to school and work success and can affect their parenting practices. This is particularly an issue for people of color, who are far more likely to live in communities of concentrated poverty where violence and trauma are prevalent.

When parents can get the physical and mental health treatment they need, their life opportunities and their children’s opportunities should improve dramatically. Giving millions of people access to new insurance coverage is a crucial first step towards this vision.